Cataloguing Officer

Cataloguing Officer, , <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span>LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university</span></em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span>Collections and Academic Services, LSE Library</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span>Cataloguing Officer</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong><strong><span style="color: red;"> </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span>Salary from £36,513 to £41,565 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £44,468 pa inclusive of London allowance</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span>This is a fixed term appointment for 7 months</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p><span>This role is designed as an in-training post for a paraprofessional archivist and is offered as a development opportunity to gain further experience of cataloguing, under the supervision of a professional archivist.</span></p> <p><span style="color: red;"> </span></p> <p><span>The post-holder will focus on the appraisal, arrangement and description of the Records of Sheba Feminist Press as part of the <em>Charting the journey: cataloguing the Sheba Feminist Publishers archive</em> project. Support for the post has been generously contributed by the Archives Revealed grant programme which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Archives.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Candidates should have </span><span>experience of working in an archive or similar environment, preferably in higher education, experience of cataloguing archival collections, evidence of a high degree of accuracy and outstanding attention to detail, and knowledge of national and international archival standards, including ISAD(G) and NCA Rules</span><span style="color: red;">.</span></p> <p><span style="color: red;"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span>We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span>For further information about the post, please see the <a href="https://jobs.lse.ac.uk//ViewAttachment.aspx?enc=jmxpV+AcVus8i/wvT3FZXrrCOvCUGNWd9uca/tGZrAJOxn0uaIw998B27m1Z2faQDShkUR001/Up5EyI58A42u0zK/WRqIQ3WsxZQKdog9VpzQbIYODrdk9RKKv3nMqj" target="_blank" title="how to apply document">how to apply document</a>, <a href="https://jobs.lse.ac.uk//ViewAttachment.aspx?enc=jmxpV+AcVus8i/wvT3FZXrrCOvCUGNWd9uca/tGZrAJOxn0uaIw998B27m1Z2faQaKsOejcyN7EhUmVooqJ4AjR6mBO6ClJXeFpSZop059Mw14lQk56yKhfl09yVSyRQ" target="_blank" title="job description">job description</a> and the <a href="https://jobs.lse.ac.uk//ViewAttachment.aspx?enc=jmxpV+AcVus8i/wvT3FZXrrCOvCUGNWd9uca/tGZrAJOxn0uaIw998B27m1Z2faQ+kWcWNxUSINZv//CgCPnBxXZHYR1fN0zu1A6S5s2ATySUn01WpHGe2QSZ6P4nC7A" target="_blank" title="person specification">person specification</a>.</span></em></p> <p><span> </span><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p><strong><span>To apply for this post, please go to </span></strong><a href="https://jobs.lse.ac.uk/"><strong><span>www.jobs.lse.ac.uk</span></strong></a><strong><span>. </span></strong><span>If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email Emma Pizarro [email protected]. </span></p> <p><span> </span><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span>The closing date for receipt of applications is 20 May 2026 (23.59 UK time). </span></strong><strong><span>Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.</span></strong></p>, Job Type : Professional Services Area : LSE Library Salary : £30,000 to £39,999 Contract Type : Fixed Term ,

Artificial intelligence as an instrument for smarter cataloguing: a prospective dialogue

Empirical evidence suggests that the hiring, training and retaining of cataloguers is increasingly challenging for libraries. While funding and advocacy with upper management and government agencies that prioritise costs without understanding the intricacies of today’s metadata ecosystem is a factor, a lower interest in the traditional competencies of cataloguers seems to be at play as well. Meanwhile, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies garner interest from decision-makers for their perceived modernity and economic promises, as well as from information professionals who have developed automated metadata processes for decades. In times of economic constraints and a rapidly-changing workforce, apposite use of AI technology is a major factor, and it is incumbent on us to find how best to harness it as an efficient tool addressing the challenges we face. As far as metadata production is concerned, this could mean finding innovative ways of automating “traditional” tasks that production chains still need but cataloguers are less adept at, freeing them for the new tasks that have emerged as the consequence of the evolution of models and standards and where human intervention remains more than ever indispensable. Drawing on French and international experience, this is a dialogue between two seasoned cataloguing and bibliographic models experts who take a prospective look at the recent technological developments and their potential contribution to the challenges faced by cataloguing as a profession. It is our belief that technological progress should be about freeing human intelligence from repetitive and non-meaningful tasks, the better to bring about a world where cataloguers can focus on value-added, smarter tasks. This is how the cataloguing community has used automation in libraries in the past, and there is no reason why this should stop at the newest technologies.

Artificial intelligence as an instrument for smarter cataloguing: a prospective dialogue

Empirical evidence suggests that the hiring, training and retaining of cataloguers is increasingly challenging for libraries. While funding and advocacy with upper management and government agencies that prioritise costs without understanding the intricacies of today’s metadata ecosystem is a factor, a lower interest in the traditional competencies of cataloguers seems to be at play as well. Meanwhile, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies garner interest from decision-makers for their perceived modernity and economic promises, as well as from information professionals who have developed automated metadata processes for decades. In times of economic constraints and a rapidly-changing workforce, apposite use of AI technology is a major factor, and it is incumbent on us to find how best to harness it as an efficient tool addressing the challenges we face. As far as metadata production is concerned, this could mean finding innovative ways of automating “traditional” tasks that production chains still need but cataloguers are less adept at, freeing them for the new tasks that have emerged as the consequence of the evolution of models and standards and where human intervention remains more than ever indispensable. Drawing on French and international experience, this is a dialogue between two seasoned cataloguing and bibliographic models experts who take a prospective look at the recent technological developments and their potential contribution to the challenges faced by cataloguing as a profession. It is our belief that technological progress should be about freeing human intelligence from repetitive and non-meaningful tasks, the better to bring about a world where cataloguers can focus on value-added, smarter tasks. This is how the cataloguing community has used automation in libraries in the past, and there is no reason why this should stop at the newest technologies.

Paul Gooding, Melissa Terras, Sarah Ames (Hrsg.): Library Catalogues as Data – Research, Practice and Usage. London: Facet Publishing, 2025. 228 S.